6/26/13

My step-by-steps.

Build a Fire. Red and White Rustic Gypsy Bangle Stack, bracelet set.
Build a Fire.
New stack. Red and white. Obviously. Can I share the quote I chose for it?
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
-Terry Pratchett


I made some new faux mercury glass and thought I'd take some pix as I did so. We all love these step-by-step photos, they're just a pain to take.
 Supplies on wax paper. OUTSIDE. I Ordered these beveled triangles thinking they were about a third of this size. Cuz even us pros forget to check the size sometimes. Well, I've decided to go for it and see what happens.
 Here's everything spritzed with water.
 And over that, sprayed with the silver stuff.
 I've decided that it's when you try to blot with tissue/napkin that you ruin the cool bubbly effects.
Though in the case of this little slide I did rub off a lot of the silver after it dried because the ephemera I'm using is interesting enough not to need much more.

See? Now I'm thinking I shouldn't have done anything to the glass at all. Damnit. Oh, what you see here is some gilder's on the tin as a failed experiment. (And photos taken under dining room lighting, very weird yellow glow.)

Anyblerg, here's some locket lids.


And a close-up on one of the the triangle glasses.

Here's the wire and tin.


The bottom corner was fine, but the size of the tin and my stupidity made the top two look like so~

So I thought I'd secure and camouflage with some wire wrapping.

Like such.

 Better?


And then had to do the bottom to match. After oxing it all, it will look much better.
Meanwhile I also did a ton of resin.
Here's some lined up shrine-shaped cut-outs glued on to thin tin.

 After turning up the edges I used regular old tape to keep the resin in.
After curing and pulling off the tape and cutting down the tin edges some. It's still going to need the edges to be taken down further and maybe another resin layer to dome the top.

These I did using tin foil and tape for the edges. As you can see, it needs a lot of trimming and sanding before the shape will make any sense.

Here's this one with it's little foil house.

I have to get in the habit of just using tape, the foil is completely resined on.
Here's as much as I was able to get off with my hands, next comes scissors, exacto knife and lots of sand paper.

My best by far was this one because a few hours after the resin had started to set, I scooped some out of a little shrine on to this. It was partially cured, thus much more viscus and could stay on this without pouring right off. No need for foil or tape housing, no need now for trimming and sanding or a further layer to dome the top.
Which I will need to do to all these. Though it's a very satisfying process and I don't really mind. I can't believe I even said that, I'm usually in such a rush.

Did a couple tin bezels.
Basically I realized the glass I have is WAY too thin to withstand the pressure applied by my pliers as I shape the tin around it.  (by the way, once I sand and oxidize the tin it will look much better.)


So here I added a thin layer of resin over the top to sort of heal and protect the crack. Worked Ok.


Did the same here. As you see, the resin made its happy way under the glass and produced a massive air bubble.


The only way to save this I can imagine is to thy to get resin under the glass to completely fill that bubble. Even if that were possible, now the tin is resined in place... ....So fuck.

I think it took longer to take and (sort of) edit the photos and write this post than it did to do any of the work described. Also Dad-in-Law came into town last night so there was a whole cleaning and cooking extravaganza. (Full disclosure, Mom did all the cooking. I mean, please. I was busy covering up the fact that we live in a pile of dog hair.)

Meanwhile in owl news.
Could you scratch just a little to theā€¦ (via)

11 comments:

Numinosity said...

That is some big ass glass! I love seeing your process along the lines of never give up on a piece and magically resurrect it.
Speaking of resurrection, it reminds me of something my son once said when he saw a religious sign on a lawn about the resurrection. He asked me what resurrection meant and I tried to tell him best I could and he then said "oh, I thought it meant boner" and wondered why it was posted on the neighbors lawn. He capped it off by saying the thought maybe it was a hooker house) He was 8 at the time.

Turning owl gif...I love it!

I'm gonna go out into the studio and sweat some more now.

neshuma said...

I'm compelled to present you with a joyous collective kiss from all my sistahs in the FanciCorps for all dem [this-is-what-it-looks-like-at-the-{n}-stage] pics.

Juliette said...

Owl love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So yes, your adventures with resin scare me. I've tried working with resin and it just doesn't like me so I have stopped. Maybe someday I'll try again. For now will watch your work! That big triangle piece is just beautiful. xoxoxoxo J

Jiorji said...

i love your step by steps!
MWHAHAHA now i know your secrets!!!

my mom came to visit the other day too to meet my new furry friends and she was so grossed out by the cat hair on the floor, she could barely walk properly HAHA
sometimes i wonder how i got to be who i am coming from such fancy parents :D

alteredarcheology said...

Wow, what a treat. I feel like I just got a whole tutorial for free. Thanks! Also, I love when you share your fuck ups, or should it be fuccups, like hiccups?? Anywoo, makes me feel so much better when I'm throwing my failed attempts across the room. Xoxo, j

Lela said...

You are in assembly mode now! And I love the owl.

{{@;@}}

Beatnheart said...

The sharing is bitchin.... Helps me when i realize even the masta screws up...

Maggie Zee said...

Amazing. And I don't mean just the owl.

Anvil Artifacts said...

I'm enjoying these comments as much as your post, which is a great one, btw.

CraftyHope said...

Ok, so the owl is awesome. However, I adore seeing how you create some of your amazingness. So inspirational. You always inspire me to think outside of the box and just play with the stuff I have taking up my craft room and house.
Oh, and I hope y'all had a great visit with the family. Fuzziness and all.

Cecile Nichols said...

Hello!
I just followed a link from Pinterest to this post. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing your process on these pieces, and got a kick out of the fact that when some things go wrong, I'm not the only person who has to let the "f" work slip! Thanks so much for sharing! Great pieces!